Svetlana Dali, the woman who famously stowed away aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris last month, was arrested on Monday after attempting to leave the U.S. again, this time on a bus headed for Canada. The 57-year-old U.S. permanent resident from Russia had been released after a court hearing on December 5 and was wearing an ankle monitor. Authorities said she cut off the monitor and traveled to upstate New York, where she boarded a bus bound for the Canadian border.
According to law enforcement sources, Dali, who was supposed to remain at a friend’s apartment in Philadelphia, had a ticket for the bus, unlike her earlier flight to Paris. In her first audacious attempt, Dali boarded the Delta flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport without a passport or boarding pass, evading airport security and flight staff by blending in with the crowd and walking undetected onto a fully booked aircraft. Once aboard, she hid in the bathrooms during the seven-hour flight to avoid detection.
Dali spent a week in France, in the custody of French authorities, before being returned to the U.S. and arrested by FBI agents at JFK. She was charged with unauthorized boarding and stowing away on the flight to Paris, offenses that have garnered national attention for their security implications.
After her release on December 5, Dali was placed under electronic monitoring and required to stay at a friend’s apartment in Philadelphia. However, she reportedly cut off the ankle bracelet and made her way to Buffalo, New York, where she was apprehended before crossing into Canada. Authorities said Dali’s actions, including her repeated attempts to flee the country, raised concerns over a potential flight risk.
On Monday night, Dali was taken into custody in Buffalo and was scheduled for a court appearance on Tuesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. She is expected to be transferred back to Brooklyn to face charges related to the initial flight incident.
In the wake of her arrest, prosecutors have expressed concern about the potential for Dali to flee again, citing her history of evading authorities. A court official noted that her behavior reflects a high risk of flight, not just the nature of the offense itself.
Dali’s case has raised questions about airport security vulnerabilities, especially during peak travel seasons, and highlighted the challenges authorities face in monitoring individuals who may attempt to bypass standard travel protocols.
